Anything But Ordinary For Twin Magazine Blog

Check out my article on the inspirational artist Claude Cahun here.

There are many words to describe Claude Cahun: feminist, political activist, Surrealist artist, poet, writer, photographer, actress. However, the word thought-provoking seems to say it best.

Born in 1894 as Lucy Schwob in Nantes, she began practicing her most well-known form of creative expression, self portraits, at 18 years old. Produced under her pseudonym and playing between the extremes of androgyny and hyper-femininity, Cahun’s images express the idea that gender and sexuality perhaps aren’t always an A or B answer.

Involved in a life-long romantic and artistic partnership with her stepsister, and as a member of Georges Bataille’s left-wing organisation Contre-Attaque in Paris, Cahun was no stranger to controversy. In protest against the fascist regime of WWII, she distributed oppositional pamphlets combining governmental critic and poetic rhythm among the soldiers.

At a time where not even religious freedom was granted, Cahun’s defiance of political, gender, sexual and aesthetical conventions within society is remarkable. In her anti-realist, autobiographical work Aveux Nos Avenus, she wrote:  “I will follow the wake in the air, the trail on the water, the mirage in the pupil … I wish to hunt myself down, to struggle with myself.”

This internal struggle, both emotionally and on the artistic surface, helped make Cahun not only an intriguing artist, but also an inspirational legend.

The Art Of Fantasy For Twin Magazine Blog

 

Read my interview with the amazing Paulina Otylie Surys and report on the Mythologies exhibition in New York here.

Ever since the likes of Salvador Dali and René Magritte began blurring the lines between the worlds of fantasy and reality, the creative arts have had a special relationship with surrealism.

Opening today, the Mythologies exhibition at Rivington Design house, curated by Marlo Kronberg and Christine Bílý, continues to explore this correlation through photography, sculpture and film. Featuring the work of artists Bek Andersen, Wendy Bevan, Stefan Milev, Jordan Sullivan, and Paulina Otylie Surys, the group show aims to explore a muse that exists in this duality of fantasy and reality, ancientness and modernism, masculinity and feminism.

Twin spoke to photographer Paulina Otylie Surys on the eve of the exhibition’s opening about the power of artistic collaborations, her muses and surrealism in the arts…

How would you describe your photography work in a few words?

An expression of the most precious thoughts of a moment. The pursuit of old traditional techniques and a never ending experiment, a quest for perfection in the craft.

How does it feel to be exhibiting in a show of such diverse artistic talent?

When Marlo Kronberg, the curator of the Mythologies exhibition,  approached me,  I really liked the idea of the show. I also admire a lot the other artists who are participating  in the project together with me, I think that their works are great, really powerful. I appreciate any form of great art, all the artists in the exhibition have a similar sublime vibe of reverie. I believe it is going to be a really beautiful event.

The theme of the exhibition is magic realism. What does the term mean to you in regards to your work?

I really enjoy creating surreal and unique situations in my works merging the world of reality with that of imagination, illusion and hallucination. I have always been a big fan of the Lo Real Maravilloso [meaning marvelous reality in Spanish, the term was first coined by Alejo Carpentier in his 1949 novel The Kingdom Of This World] motif in film, literature and art.

The exhibit also explores the idea of paying tribute to the spirit of the muse in the ancient sense. Who or what is your muse?

I have been exposed to fine literature, films and paintings since I was a child. My mother would take care of these matters, it would always be a very important part of our life, so I was already attending operas and theatre at a young age. Even our home in Poland is filled up with books, we had to transfer the less precious ones to the basement because they literally filled up every inch of free space.
Looking towards the future, what projects do you have lined up?I am having an exhibition in London around April courtesy of Supperclub London. I will probably exhibit in Greece soon too, as I am doing a collaboration with an amazing artist, Pascale Pollier. I am also shooting for my monographic album which will be launched during PARIS PHOTO in November, where I will be showing my works in a group exhibition, but I will unveil more details about that within the next few months…

The Smith Factor For Twin Magazine Blog

Have a read through my runway report of the Paul Smith A/W 12 collection on the Twin Magazine blog here.

Dress up like a dandy seemed to be Paul Smith’s motto for his A/W 12 collection.

Plush sapphire blue velvet trousers, iridescent dégradé burnt orange and grey dresses, as well as boyishly tailored pea coats and blazers defined a collection that stayed true to Smith’s self-described signature of ‘classic with a twist’.

Tweed and plaid prints paired with low slung, front-pleated trousers and silk draped tops kept the feel of the collection more feminine rather than borrowed from the boys, while the injection of colours such as deep fuchsia, emerald green and garnet punched up the chromatic factor for coming winter months.

Paul Smith may be a permanent fixture on the London Fashion Week schedule, but he sure knows how to keep things fresh.

Britannia Cool For Twin Magazine Blog

Read my review of the Margaret Howell A/W 12 collection here.

For over three decades, Margaret Howell has been designing clothes for the quintessential British woman. This A/W 12 season, she provided a twist on traditional tweed, wool berets and menswear tailoring.

Inspired by Britain’s winter landscape, Shetland wool and a modern interpretation of traditional materials, Howell created a collection of silk and cotton button-downs, pleated drop-waist dresses and traditional outerwear in the form of sheepskin jackets and belted trench coats.  Held in a colour palette of navy, charcoal and moss green and accessorised with black leather penny loafers, each look was a perfect incarnation of the casual Britannia woman.

With a wearable collection tweaked with intriguing construction details, Howell proves that traditional doesn’t have to mean tedious.

Protege Programme For Twin Magazine Blog

 

Check out my article on the NEWGEN initiative on the Twin Magazine blog here.

With a week’s worth of womenswear and menswear shows kicking off today, a new crop of fresh design talents will be making their London Fashion Week mark.

For this season, expect to see the collections of David Koma, Holly Fulton, J.JS Lee, J.W. Anderson, Michael van der Ham and Simone Rocha on the runway, as well as Christopher Raeburn, Thomas Tait, Nasir Mazhar, Sister by Sibling, Huishan Zhang, James Long, Lucas Nascimento, Tim Soar and Palmer//Harding presenting their unique designs in installations and exhibitions.

Helping them flourish in the fashion capital is the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN initiative, founded in 1993 and sponsored by Topshop. The scheme offers young creatives a platform to showcase their designs at Somerset House, as well as offering financial and business support.

With past recipients including Alexander McQueen, Matthew Williamson, Christopher Kane, Mary Katrantzou and Meadham Kirchhoff, the future is looking more than bright for this next generation of fashion talent. After all, there’s nothing like a new kid on the block to shake things up.

Bright Young Things For Twin Magazine Blog

Check out my article on this year's Selfridges Bright Young Things winners here.

If London is known for anything as a fashion capital, it’s nurturing and supporting a hotbed of creative talents all across the design spectrum.

For a second year running, Selfridges has selected its Bright Young Things. The project allows 15 newcomers from the worlds of fashion, art, design and food talents to create a window display for its Oxford and Duke Street stores.

With participants this year including womenswear designer/illustrator and CSM graduate Sorcha O’ Raghallaigh, who specialises in intricate metallic coloured and lace designs (Lady Gaga is a fan)  and designer Maarten van der Horst, who gave a new and fashionable life to the otherwise dreaded Hawaiian prints, it’s a testament to the design talents that the Big Smoke has to offer.

For those more interested in non-fashion creativity, interior designer duo Tinker & Tailor have created a Twitter-friendly interactive space, while coffee connoisseur Jack Coleman made his own personal ode to the art of the brewing and roasting.

There’s never been a better reason to stop and take a closer look. Rush hour crowds notwithstanding.

Poetic Playlists For Twin Magazine Blog

Read my article on the Clinic/ V&A poetry readings here.

Clinic is one of South East London’s most renowned poetry, music and art collectives. Founded by Sam Buchan-Watts, Andrew Parkes, Rachael Allen and Sean Roy Parker and based in New Cross, the group organises exhibitions, readings and workshops alongside publishing an annual poetry, illustration and photography zine.

The collective’s readings for the V&A’s Selected Poems series, with readers including Liz Berry, Matthew Gregory, Tim Cockburn and Abigail Parry, are now available for listening on the Clinic website.

With titles such as The Age Of Insecurity, Hermione And Frog: Honeymoon Days In The Blue and Google, the playlist is sure to be an entertaining audio experience no matter what your poetic taste.

Reign Of Lux For Twin Magazine Blog

 

 Read my article on the best looks from 10 years of Alber Elbaz at Lanvin on the Twin Magazine blog here.

The Haute Roundup

Feel free to pop over to the Twin Magazine blog for an article I wrote on the S/S 12 Haute Couture shows here.

Yesterday marked the end of the Spring/Summer 2012 couture shows. The proverbial creme de la creme of fashion, only allowed to show during this three-day short Fashion Week through a Chambre Syndicale De La Haute Couturemembership – haute couture doesn’t mean high dressmaking in French for nothing – showed a degree of craftsmanship and attention to detail all across the fashion spectrum.

Twin recounts our haute couture highlights from Paris…

ALEXIS MABILLE

Proving that haute couture doesn’t have to keep to a demure palette, Mabille punched up the colour factor with his neon designs. Inspired by photographs of Lisa Fonssagrives and Christy Turlington, the creations in fabrics ranging from metallic lame to guipure lace proved that even when it comes to couture, girls just want to have fun.

BOUCHRA JARRAR

Working with crepe de soie, fur collars and wide-legged tailored trousers, Jarrar’s collection was a take on casual luxe. A bit of tomboy and a dash of urban sophisticate resulted in a whole lot of effortless cool.

CHANEL

No couture week is complete without Karl Lagerfeld’s latest mind musings. Taking the double Cs to a more ethereal place this time around (airplane runway, anyone?) resulted in a collection of beautifully hand-embellished pieces in icy blues, ivories and midnight blacks.

ELIE SAAB

Elie Saab is the go-to designer for anything feminine and delicate, and this season was no exception. Lace and crystal embroidery on nude, pastel pink and pale lemon high-waisted dresses and A-line skirts made being a woman that bit more enticing.

GIAMBATTISTA VALLI

It may only be Valli’s second showing on the haute couture circuit, but the Italian designer proves that he can hold his own among fashion’s heavyweights. With a plethora of expertly tailored feather, lace and embroidered pieces, he’s as couture as they come.

JEAN PAUL GAULTIER

In a beehive and winged eyeliner tribute to Amy Winehouse, Gaultier sent out a collection that was every bit as eccentric and nonchalant as the late singer herself. Encompassing pieces such as back to black shirt-tail hem skirts, leather varsity jackets and silk kimono coats tied at the waist, Winehouse probably wouldn’t have wanted her couture any other way.

MAISON MARTIN MARGIELA ARTISANAL

Leave it to the house of Margiela to put an unconventional spin on couture. Rope, braided bracelets and hundreds of pearlescent buttons were turned into  knee-length trench coats, colourful micro dresses, and slouchy blazer and pegged trouser combos, proving that recycled fashion doesn’t have to be drab.

VALENTINO

It has only taken a few seasons for Pier Paolo Piccioli and Maria Grazia Chiuri to fully establish their trademark of girlish and graceful designs at Valentino. Marking a sweet end to haute couture fashion week, this collection of chiffon, lace and tulle in fine floral prints had a glamourised Charlotte Brontë/Jane Austen novel feel to it. Piccioli and Chiuri clearly have a talent for capturing fashion daydreams.

Mary Katrantzou x Longchamp For Twin Magazine Blog

Central Saint Martins graduate Mary Katrantzou is undoubtedly one of fashion’s current favourites.Those who haven’t been able to grab one of her highly-coveted digital print pieces now have the chance to own a fluorescently bright handbag created by the Greek designer.

Part of her collaboration with Longchamp and now available exclusively at Colette Paris, the totes in 3D prints of lanterns, orchids and aquariums are the perfect excuse to put a bit of Katrantzou in your closet.